Not so fast my friends! Despite a pair of goals by former Edmonton prospect Patrick Thoresen, Ekaterinburg upset top seeded Yulaev to extend their opening round playoff series to a Game Four. Denis Kazionov played just 4:08 in the match.

Pierre Dagenais scored for Chelyabinsk 4 minutes into overtime to help keep his club alive for Game Four against Mangitogorsk. Vasily Koshechkin's playoff save percentage dropped to a still-superhuman .946 in the loss.

Alexei Morozov had 1 goal and 1 assist to help Kazan complete a 3-game opening round sweep of Astana. Former Lightning prospect Ilya Solarev had an assist on Astana's only goal. Dmitri Kazionov played 17:16 in the match.

The season is over for Karri Ramo. He and Omsk allowed a goal by Maxim Yakutsenya with 3:33 remaining in regulation to allow Nizhnekamsk to complete the three game sweep. Ex-Lightning forward Eric Perrin had the only goal of the match for Omsk. Let the Ramo signing watch begin.

Ex-Lightning forward Martin Cibak had a pair of assists to help secure a Game Four victory for Spartak and an opening round playoff series win. Johan Harju missed his second straight game for Dynamo Moscow. No word on if he is injured. Either way, his season in the KHL is now over, and the Lightning are expected to try to sign Harju this offseason.

Elsewhere in the KHL, Yaroslavl knocked off Mytischi to win their Western Conference series 3-1. Lightning prospects Dmitri Kazionov and Martins Karsums are already through to the second round. Karri Ramo and Johan Harju are headed home. Only two playoff series remain to be settled, and both are in the Eastern Conference. Denis Kazionov and Ekaterinburg will play Game Four against Yulaev tomorrow with his club down 2-1 in the series. Vasily Koshechkin and Magnitogorsk will also play tomorrow as they try to dispose of Chelyabinsk in Game Four.

I'd be amazed if Ekaterinburg isn't swept. Juggernaut top seed Yulaev has gotten 9 goals from 9 different players in the first couple of games of their opening round series to stake themselves to a 2-0 series lead over Ekaterinburg. Denis Kazionov played 10:12 in the match.

Things are looking bad for Omsk. Karri Ramo was pulled in the second period of their 6-2 Game Two loss to Nizhnekamsk, putting the team down 2-0 in the series. Former Lightning first round pick Alex Svitov had a goal and former NHLer Jaromir Jagr had 1 goal and 1 assist in the match for Omsk.

This probably won't end well for Ekaterinurg. Top seed Yulaev got goals from five different goal scorers as they blew out Ekaterinburg in Game One of their opening round playoff series. Lightning prospect Denis Kazionov played 14:54 in the match and led his team with 6 shots on goal. He also took three aggressive minor penalties for cross checking, charging, and roughing. It's a hat trick of minor penalty nastiness.

I smell upset. Riga got 1 goal and 2 assists from Martin Kariya to help defeat St. Petersburg 3-1 and stake Riga to a 2-0 lead over the top seed in their opening round playoff series. Martins Karsums played 17:55 in the match.

Unfortunately, an upset may also be in the offing for Spartak over Dynamo Moscow as well. Former Flyers farm hand Stefan Rucizka assisted on the only goal of the match by Evgeny Lapenkov. Johan Harju played just 10:43 in the match and was 38% on draws.

After sitting backup the past two games, Helenius was back in net for Sodertalje, backstopping them to a 3-2 win over MODO. Former NHLer Markus Naslund had 1 goal and 1 assist in the match for MODO. Sodertalje's regular season concludes on Saturday against Farjestads. They sit 11th in the 12 team league and will miss the playoffs.

Harju played 8:51 in the match and was 50% on draws. Former NHLer Mattias Weinhandl scored his 26th goal of the season in the match for Dynamo. Dynamo is the 3rd seed in the KHL Western Conference. They draw 6th seed Spartak Moscow in round one of the playoffs.

Karsums played 17:27 in the match for Riga. Marcel Hossa scored his 35th goal of the season in the match for Riga. Riga is the 8th seed in the KHL's Western Conference and draws top seed St. Petersburg to start the playoffs.

Kazionov played 16:21 in the match for Ekateriburg. Former NHLer Alexei Yashin had St. Petersburg's only goal. Ekaterinburg defied tremendous odds to squeak past Novosibirsk by 1 point to claim the 8th and final playoff seed in the KHL's Eastern Conference. Unfortunately, that means they get juggernaut Yulaev in the first round. Good luck with that.

Koshechkin was lifted in the third period for backup Dimitry Voloshin. Former Lightning prospects Alexei Glukhov and Vadim Epanchintsev each had helpers in the match for Mytischi. Magnitogorsk is the 2nd seed in the KHL Eastern Conference and will face 7th seed Chelyabinsk in round one.

Kazionov played 15:22 in the match. Former NHLer Josef Vasicek had his 21st goal of the season in the match for Yaroslavl. Kazan gets the 3rd seed in the Eastern Conference and draws 6th seed Astana in round one.

All Lightning prospects in Russia are on clubs that made the postseason. The playoffs begin March 11th.

Keep an eye on Harju, Koshechkin, and Ramo. All three may be targets to be signed by the Lightning once their seasons conclude.

Fresh off a solid performance for Latvia in the Olympics, Karsums had 1 goal and 1 assist in 20:26 in a solid drubbing on Avangard Omsk. KHL goal scoring leader Marcel Hossa scored his 33rd and 34th goal of the season in the match for Riga.

Harju pulled himself out of his recent slump with back to back goals scored by his line late in the first period. Harju's lifelong teammate Linus Omark, an Edmonton prospect, notched his 20th goal of the season on Harju's helper. Harju played 13:41 in the match and was 64% on draws.

Former Lightning first rounder Alex Svitov assisted on both Omsk goals as Karri Ramo notched his 4th shutout of the season. Ramo is now tied for 4th in the league in shutouts behind fellow Lightning prospect V. Koshechkin (7), former NHLer Robert Esche (6), and Yarolslav netminder Georgy Gelashvili (6).

Kazionov played 9:20 in the match and scored his 5th goal of the season, but it wasn't enough to lift Ekaterinburg to victory in a critical battle for the last playoff spot in the KHL's Eastern Conference. Novosibirsk moved into a tie with Ekaterinburg and Khabarovsk at 54 points, but Novosibirsk holds 8th in the conference by virtue of the one game in hand they hold over both clubs. Former Lightning forward Alex Kharitonov had his 3rd goal of the season in the match for Novosibirsk.

Koshechkin notched his league leading 7th shutout of the season to help Magnitogorsk keep pace with Yulaev just 2 points out of first place in the Eastern Conference. Former Lightning draft pick Fedor Fedorov had his 5th goal of the season in the match for Metallurg. Koshechkin is 2nd in the KHL in wins behind only former NHLer Robert Esche (26).

Karsums played 14:55 in the match and was charged with a minor for cross checking and a misconduct in the game. Cherepovets was led by a pair of goals from former NHLer Marcel Hossa, who now leads the league with 29.